It was 11 years ago today that the Edmonton Oilers hired the eighth coach in history, Pat Quinn.
He joined the Oilers after spending five years out of the coaching game where he replaced Craig MacTavish, but Quinn didn’t last long.
In that 2009-10 season, the Oilers were the worst team in the entire NHL. They posted a 27-47-8 record and ended up winning the lottery that year leading to the selection of Taylor Hall in the draft.
Lasting only one season, Quinn was replaced by Tom Renney 13 months after he was hired. Quinn ended up taking a senior advisor role with the Oilers, a position he held until the 2010-11 season.
When he came to Edmonton, he brought with him a storied coaching career that saw him behind the bench for 19 seasons — two of which landed him Jack Adams trophy.
His time in Edmonton marked one of a significant change. The Oilers were partway through their decade of darkness post-2006. Quinn was also the first of six coaches to be behind the bench of the Oilers over a seven-year period.
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